OT: HFPens Community Lounge: Party like its 1999

[Ugene Magic]

Took my 76 year-old dad on his first cruise last week. My siblings sure as shit weren't going to and he's been talking about wanting to since I was a little kid. Went about as well as I could have asked, plus it finally added Mexico to my countries visited list.

Best part? That f***er won another cruise

This is awesome, Bigs!

Have/having fun with your dad.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I guess I need to go back to watching Justified. Too bad I forget where/what season I left off on.

Oh, White Lotus starts up tonight.

I should watch justified someday. And I’m looking forward to white lotus s3 for sure, forgot it was tonight.

 

[BHD]

It only took SNL 50 years to have enough decent material for a special

 

[Pens1566]

It only took SNL 50 years to have enough decent material for a special

It was a good special. Sandler killed it. The "scared straight" skit was also excellent.

Disappointed with no Carvey/Aykroyd, and no Stefon.

 

[BHD]

It was a good special. Sandler killed it. The "scared straight" skit was also excellent.

i couldn't get into it.

Sandler, though... He gets flak for his movies since the turn of the century (deservedly so), but he's good.

 

[Empoleon8771]

So this should be either fun or a mess, I'm having my first vacation with my sister and her fiance this summer. I've traveled a lot obviously but I've never traveled with either of them before. We're doing Le Mans for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race plus a couple of other cities, so it should be a lot of fun.

I used to exclusively solo travel but I've been traveling more and more with friends since. A part of me misses the solo traveling but it's nice that prices are lower while traveling with friends, plus I've found it harder and harder to justify doing solo trips (or easier and easier to decide against doing solo trips).

As an unrelated topic, I started on a GLP-1 prescription last week to help me with weight loss. I've been sitting at about 245 lbs for a good while, which is about 45-50 lbs above where I'd like to be at. Granted I don't think I "need" the prescription, I'm generally good when I fully commit to cutting calories and working out, but damn the GLP-1 makes it so much easier. It really suppresses my appetite and makes me run huge calorie deficits even in days I'm not working out. It's definitely not something I want to stick on long-term though, but it has been a huge help to cut eating habits so far.

 

[Deport Ogie]

I was put on GLP-1 a few years back for diabetes before the link to weight loss was even known. It definitely helped my A1C and absolutely kept me full longer resulting in weight loss as a nice perk. I did eventually have a bit of an adverse reaction that causes some stomach bug like symptoms (no need to elaborate here) and my doctor moved me around a couple different ones. I just started a new one this month so I guess we'll see how that goes.

As the link to weight loss caught on and celebs like the Kardashians started to pimp things like Ozempic as a fad diet, it became very hard to keep in stock for pharmacies, really annoying to those of us taking it for actual medical reasons. I think that issue has just recently started to level out.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I was put on GLP-1 a few years back for diabetes before the link to weight loss was even known. It definitely helped my A1C and absolutely kept me full longer resulting in weight loss as a nice perk. I did eventually have a bit of an adverse reaction that causes some stomach bug like symptoms (no need to elaborate here) and my doctor moved me around a couple different ones. I just started a new one this month so I guess we'll see how that goes.

As the link to weight loss caught on and celebs like the Kardashians started to pimp things like Ozempic as a fad diet, it became very hard to keep in stock for pharmacies, really annoying to those of us taking it for actual medical reasons. I think that issue has just recently started to level out.

I actually started on GLP-1 because my sister recommended it, she was taking it to help get her A1C levels lower and she mentioned it was very good for weight loss as well. She also had those nausea type symptoms but she highly recommended the drug regardless.

Personally I'm taking the drug less for weight loss and more for combating cravings. I've always been able to lose weight pretty effectively, but it's never sustainable because of how aggressively I take it. Once I stop working with "work out every day and limit myself to 1500 calories", I go back into old bad habits and any sort of weight loss I had is negated out. I'm hoping the GLP-1 can help me get me into more healthy habits that I can continue when I'm also not trying to lose weight.

That's actually why I'm trying to stay on a low dose. I feel like I can do the "cut calories and work out" part, the big thing I'm hoping GLP-1 does is curb my cravings I have for mainly alcohol and soda. I drink diet soda so I'm not gaining weight, but I drink so much that I guarantee I'll get whatever negatives diet soda causes in the long term.

 

[Smoke]

I was put on a GLP-1 for type 2 in early '23. Classic case of 3 kids at home, no job because of human malware, and a government throwing food and money at my face. Good news is I'm coming up on my 3rd straight A1C at or under 5.5 and have lost a considerable amount of weight once my activity increased by finding new work. I didn't change much with my diet other than cutting out junk and just basically an overall reduction in consumption. I combat the symptoms with water and Zofran.

These drugs do work but I fear there may be an issue down the road where people aren't using them as a supplemental way to lose weight but more as a cure. You do have to help yourself a little bit, this drug doesn't work if you don't change the bad habits.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I was put on a GLP-1 for type 2 in early '23. Classic case of 3 kids at home, no job because of human malware, and a government throwing food and money at my face. Good news is I'm coming up on my 3rd straight A1C at or under 5.5 and have lost a considerable amount of weight once my activity increased by finding new work. I didn't change much with my diet other than cutting out junk and just basically an overall reduction in consumption. I combat the symptoms with water and Zofran.

These drugs do work but I fear there may be an issue down the road where people aren't using them as a supplemental way to lose weight but more as a cure. You do have to help yourself a little bit, this drug doesn't work if you don't change the bad habits.

Yeah this is something I'm actively trying to address this time around. I've been able to lose a lot of weight very quickly in the past, because I can fully commit to an insane weight loss plan and lose a ton of weight. But the lifestyle I have while doing that is so unsustainable that I just end up adding the weight back. I figure a lot of people who take GLP-1 but change nothing will have the same impact, you can lose weight and keep it off as long as you're taking GLP-1 but you'll add it back on as soon as you stop.

I've only been taking it for about 2 weeks now, but I've definitely noticed my appetite has shrunk massively and I don't really crave large meals or eating out. I'm hoping that trend continues and I can maintain it after stopping as well. That's the big thing I'm hoping I can get with taking this, I'm hoping it can lead to a healthier lifestyle that I can maintain my weight at a healthy weight.

It's a silly goal but a genuine goal I have from this: I don't want to eat at any McDonalds type of fast food places at all in 2025. Chipotle and Chick Fil'a are fine (especially if I'm just getting grilled chicken at Chick Fil'a) but that's it.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Been slowly upgrading the house room by room. Next is the kitchen floor which is desperately needed as the shitty stick on tiles are coming up. Might go with some cork flooring that I can install myself and have ordered some samples.

The basement could be slightly less dungeon-y. I want to get some of those rubber gym tiles that snap into place. There's a projector I can set up to display on the one wall and I'd like to maybe get a foosball table.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

This is awesome, Bigs!

Have/having fun with your dad.

He just got around to booking it and we're going to Alaska in August

 

[66-30-33]

So just an update on my pops. Most of his cancer was killed off from that extreme radiation he had to have, was in the hospital for nearly 3 months until they forced him out and didn't want him to come back because he's been there too long. Found out recently his cancer has mostly recieted but it's grown in other areas in him, he's on plan P (palitive care) and he's on the hospice plan, so when he does go (and he will, he's slowly getting worse) he will have a bed at the creeping looking hospice building beside jubilee hospital. His will is done. Unless I am at work I take care of him all the time doing things for him. Still play video games and been watching the Pens for a month and a half or so (god I hope we get a top 5 pick). I've made my peace with this whole thing now. Hospice is how my grandma went from cancer, it's how my dad will go from cancer. I am sure he is elgible for M.A.I.D. too. A few people at my work (and customers I like) have suddenly also got cancer now too, 1 co worker went nuts and started talking to herself and no longer works with us but tried to be abusive, 1 ex co worker commited suicide because his girl cheated on him. It';s been an interesting 2025 that's for sure.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

So just an update on my pops. Most of his cancer was killed off from that extreme radiation he had to have, was in the hospital for nearly 3 months until they forced him out and didn't want him to come back because he's been there too long. Found out recently his cancer has mostly recieted but it's grown in other areas in him, he's on plan P (palitive care) and he's on the hospice plan, so when he does go (and he will, he's slowly getting worse) he will have a bed at the creeping looking hospice building beside jubilee hospital. His will is done. Unless I am at work I take care of him all the time doing things for him. Still play video games and been watching the Pens for a month and a half or so (god I hope we get a top 5 pick). I've made my peace with this whole thing now. Hospice is how my grandma went from cancer, it's how my dad will go from cancer. I am sure he is elgible for M.A.I.D. too. A few people at my work (and customers I like) have suddenly also got cancer now too, 1 co worker went nuts and started talking to herself and no longer works with us but tried to be abusive, 1 ex co worker commited suicide because his girl cheated on him. It';s been an interesting 2025 that's for sure.

Jeez, sending Internet hugs.